Yet school boards in Orange and Seminole counties, for instance, were perfectly willing to entertain the idea of boosting property taxes. No wonder Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, chair of the education committee, found the school board inaction statewide "just absolutely amazing."

We hardly expect anyone to relish the notion of handing back hard-earned cash. However, at a time when the superintendent's cost-cutting pen hangs over teachers like the sword of Damocles, true leadership demands another important cut: the symbolic kind.

Fact is, the $12,500 recouped through a 5 percent cut in Mr. Blocker's salary wouldn't defray the starting pay for even one schoolteacher ($37,000). But as a symbolic gesture, even a modest reduction would tell the rank-and-file -- and taxpayers -- that the talk of sacrifices is more than lip service.

Sonny Da Marto understood the value of that concept. Last winter, the superintendent of Turlock Unified School District in California, offered to take a 3 percent pay cut. In July, facing a $5 million shortfall, Terry Bouck, superintendent of Peninsula School District in Washington, offered to take a 5 percent cut.

Then there is Mary-Elizabeth Beach, superintendent of Ware Public Schools in Massachusetts, who fell on her financial sword to spare students. With her voluntary 20 percent pay cut, Beach, added $25,785 to her district's coffers.

"Between me and the children, there are teachers, parents, and administrators," Ms. Beach was quoted as saying. "So I'm fourth removed."

In Florida, the Legislature mandated that elected superintendents absorb a 2 percent cut. However, with appointed superintendents, including the five in Central Florida, lawmakers could only suggest cuts.

School boards insist that competitive salaries draw top talent and keep them in the fold. But what does it say about your top employee if he or she is ready to jump ship if asked to make a small sacrifice?

"These are very dire times, and everyone must recognize the gravity of this situation and step forward to share the pain," said Mr. Da Marto of the Turlock district. "I believe it is my duty to lead the way."

That's a lesson Central Florida's school leaders could learn. And there's regional precedent. In July, Hillsborough's Mary Ellen Elia took a voluntary 5 percent pay cut. And in fairness, Ms. Smith of Volusia voluntarily reduced her pay last year by 2 percent and nixed bonuses, while Mr. Vogel donated his cost-of-living increase last year.

It has been said that we all need money, but there are degrees of desperation. In these desperate times, school boards should have pursued the salary cuts.

And when school boards didn't take up the gauntlet, superintendents could have earned high marks by stepping up. The boost to the coffers would be meager. The symbolic value would have been huge.